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Journalism of Courage
A keen supporter of the movement for separate religion status for Lingayats, sect leader Dr Basavalinga Pattadevaru, 67, has worked for several decades to improve education and social values in Bidar region of north Karnataka through Hiremath Samsthana Bhalki, a Lingayat mutt established in Bhalki region of the district five decades ago. The mutt today runs 25 schools and colleges in Bidar, in all catering to more than 15,000 students and over 1,000 teachers, he says. Pattadevaru, president of Anubhava Mantapa, a spiritual parliament created in 12th century in Basavakalyan region of Bidar by Basavanna, the founder of Lingayat faith, had both BJP president Amit Shah and his Congress counterpart Rahul Gandhi call upon him recently. Excerpts from an interview with Johnson T A:
The demand for separate religion status for Lingayats has been around for a few years. How did it suddenly gather momentum in Bidar last July?
This (Bidar) is a place where Basavanna worked a lot. In this region — specifically Basavakalyan — a major religious revolution took place in the 12th century on account of Basavanna’s teachings. The community was attacked and forced to flee the region 800 years ago because the philosophy they professed ran counter to the norm.
This region is known as the land of Sharanas or the land of Kalyana, where people dedicated their lives to the pursuit of spiritual goals. The effect of this deep focus on spiritual aspects has had an effect on people across generations. Lingayat institutions like our mutt have been working quietly in society over decades in creating awareness about the philosophy of Basavanna. The seeds sown in the region over the years have borne fruit now in terms of the movement to seek the status of a separate religion. We worked on communicating with people for about a month ahead of the rally last July, but we did not expect people in such large numbers. Political power or funds were not used in any way to mobilise people for that first rally – people gathered only through self-motivation and devotion to the religion. As the movement went forward, it took a political shape, with Congress leaders seeing a political opportunity.
What are the differences between Lingayats and Hindus? Most people perceive Lingayats as a Hindu sub-caste.
As the Buddha is the guru of Buddhists, Basavanna is the guru of Lingayats. The dharma of Basavanna is not like the dharma of Hindu priests. He (Basavanna) professed worship of one God, and not multiple Gods; he opposed worship of stones and idols, and the idea of temples; he considered the (human) body as a temple, with the soul as its centre.
However, elements and rituals of Hinduism slowly crept into the Lingayat faith as it came under the influence of Hindu priests. All the things Basavanna rejected, such as caste distinctions, crept back into practice. Over time, we lost sight of Basavanna’s vachanas (teachings), which was the basis of our faith, and we started being identified as Hindus.
Another important factor was the loss of the vachanas written by Basavanna. It was only in the last 100 years that these were found by a scholar named Halkatti and others. When we read the vachanas, we realised we are a separate religion, and not a part of the Veerashaivas with whom we were being increasingly identified. The Veerashaivas worship multiple Gods, while we worship one God; they worship idols in temples but we believe in bhakti to the ishtalinga, or a universal force; Veerashaivas restrict religious gurus to one community but we believe a member of any community can be a religious guru. Women have equal status with men among Lingayats, and they can be world gurus, unlike in Hinduism, where women are not treated at par with men.
In the last seven-eight years there has been greater realisation of the Lingayat identity. Eventually the Karnataka government decided to recommend separate religion status. We will have to campaign (further) to get it cleared by the Centre as well, but we are hopeful.
What are the educational institutions under the aegis of your mutt?
We have 25 schools and colleges in Bidar. We had a large number of institutions but they were lost after some political problems. From 1992 we started a new trust called Hiremath Samsthana Vidyapeeta and started a new set of schools and colleges. Today we have 15,000 students and over 1,000 teachers in our institutions. We recently set up a Gurukul education campus on 50 acres near Bidar. We have an orphanage there. We also accommodate 400 poor students free of cost in the schools attached to the ashram. In Gurukul we collect a nominal fee. Much of what we do is through donations.
Many caste-based practices have become a part of the Lingayat system. How will the status of a separate religion affect these practices in the community?
Recognition as a separate religion will help in removal of caste-based distinctions that have entered the community. We have welcomed Dalits and made them gurus. People who accepted the community have come from various castes. Lingayat swamijis who follow the teachings of Basavanna are doing this. But a majority of swamijis are believers in the caste system. There are a few mutts like Bhalki, Ilkal, Gadag, Chitradurga, Pandava mutt – maybe some 20 of 2,950 mutts – that do not look at the caste of people.
Recently, many Veerashaiva Lingayat seers met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and warned against recommending separate religion status for Lingayats, saying only 50 out of 2950 mutts of the community were in favour of it?
They are correct in a sense, because if you look at the seers alone, then more are against the idea of a separate religious status than those in favour. But if you consider the people, the majority are in favour — as much as 80 per cent of the people are in favour but 70 per cent swamijis are against (status of a separate religion). They are showing closed minds because they fear loss of control over the mutts and institutions.
How did the Lingayat religion get diluted and recognised as a part of Hinduism?
This happened because they inducted Sanskrit and the Vedas alongside our vachanas. We started realising the differences when the vachanas began emerging. Till about 15 years ago we used to shout slogans calling for the victory of the Veerashaiva dharma because we were using Lingayats and Veerashaivas as interchangeable words. We ourselves did not know the difference. This has changed.
There is a feeling that this is a politically motivated move by the Congress to break the Lingayat vote base of the BJP.
Our intention is clear — we want to be recognised as a separate religion. They (Congress and Siddaramaiah) may have seen political benefits but that does not concern us. We cannot say it has been done only for political benefit. There has been a struggle for nearly 10 years, although it may have been in a small way. We have no links with political calculations.
What effect do you think the decision on separate religion status will have on the Karnataka elections?
There will be a small effect through Lingayats. Lingayats who believe in Basavanna could support the Congress…some of them could support the party, but it will not have an effect on traditionalists who believe Lingayats are not a separate religion. They will continue to support the BJP.
Why are leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah visiting seers of Lingayat mutts ahead of the polls? You met both at Anubhava Mantapa in Basavakalyan.
Rahul Gandhi came first and we showed him around. He said the Congress philosophy was similar to the Lingayats. Shah visited a month later. Those who come to meet seers see this as an opportunity to seek support for the elections. The seers also have a lot of influence. If seers make up their minds, they can make or break a candidate. (But) they usually do not get involved.
